Rubber gasket seals are most commonly used within mechanical seals that create barriers between two surfaces to prevent any leakages of liquid or gas. A more compressible material than metal, rubber gaskets are more versatile and can be used with a larger variety of surfaces, i.e. glass and tin in a jar of jelly. For a gasket to effectively seal away any leaks, it must be compacted sufficiently to create a complete barrier that will make a pressure-tight seal. This is why jars use elastomer seals to keep jam or jelly fresh instead of any other material, since rubber is able to create the most air-tight seal. Prior to the use of rubber, cork was the primary seal used in containers. Rubber is less expensive and far more durable. Gaskets also protect moving parts of objects by separating them from rubbing against hard surfaces and creating high amounts of friction. So what is a gasket supposed to do? It is both a barrier between two surfaces, as well as a seal to protect the contents inside the seal. While a gasket manufacturer is able to create gaskets in high volume for general purposes, many companies offer the option of creating a custom gasket for unique products. A gasket can be used in an endless list of machinery and equipment, but its two main functions are to protect moving parts and to seal joints.
Santoprene “Block Design” 60A
Santoprene “Block Design” 60A
- Slow burn rate
- Low compression and tension set
- Stocked in popular thickness gauges
EPDM Benefits: This thermoplastic rubber is made partly from fully vulcanized EPDM rubber. The EPDM elastomer is known for being a good rubber material to use in outdoor settings. As a result, its outdoor weathering resistance traits are passed on to Santoprene rubber. A Santoprene sheet can operate comfortably in the outdoors because it features superior longevity in the face of UV rays and ozone. Outdoor elements like UV rays can damage other elastomers by causing cracks to form on their surfaces, but that is not the case with the Santoprene elastomer.
Excellent Temperature Range: Silicone often tends to be the first rubber that comes to mind when people are looking for a high-temp elastomer. However, Santoprene rubber should also be considered. This synthetic rubber material has an excellent working temperature range. It can endure temperatures that go as low as -74° F and can equally function in conditions that reach as high as 300° F. This excellent feature allows the rubber to be used in various temperature intensive applications in the automotive, electrical, and industrial fields.
A product with moving parts runs the risk of the machine breaking down quickly due to a higher chance of wear down from the repetitive motion of the parts. For these products, it is absolutely necessary to invest in a custom gasket to ensure that your product is better protected from this damage. Here are some of the most common and unexpected applications of rubber gaskets:
- Pressure cookers
- Blender/Food processors
- Oil pan gasket for cars
- Vacuum chambers
- Transmission systems
- Ammunition boxes
- Air conditioning units
- Combustion chambers in cars
- Machine assembly lines
- Space rovers
- Car bumpers (yes, these are gaskets between your car and other cars!)
Nitrile – Commercial Grade Black – 60A
Nitrile – Commercial Grade Black – 60A
- Able to resist ozone, making it good for outdoor use
- Our nitrile rubber sheets have a smooth finish
- Can operate in temperatures between -20° F and 170° F
- Our NBR material is available in custom gauges of up to 2” thick and 72” long
Flexible Rubber: Our Buna-N sheet has a durometer rating of 55-65. It is a medium grade rating that means the elastomer features more flexibility and elasticity than 70 durometer rubbers. It is not the hardest rubber around, but it does have decent resistance to abrasions. However, its flexibility allows it to be better used as seals, gaskets, and bumpers for a large number of different commercial and industrial applications.
Blended Material: Our nitrile rubber is actually a blend that contains amounts of neoprene and styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) in addition to the nitrile. Thanks to the blended materials in this oil-resistant rubber, it brings a good level of all-round resistance to oils and chemicals, which only enhances the considerable strength of nitrile’s resistance to oil. The SBR rubber brings an added level of abrasion resistance and weathering resistance.
Gaskets are also used as seals to prevent any drips or leaks from one connecting part to the next. Elastomer seals are especially well suited for this application because they can be compacted more than other materials. The softer nature of rubber makes it perfect to compress as an air-tight seal between two imperfect surfaces. The following are ten of the most common uses for rubber gasket seals:
- Bathroom faucets
- Hose ends
- Coffee makers
- Plumbing pipes
- Toilet chambers
- Washing machines
- Refrigerators
- Windshields
- Spacecraft window seals
- Aircraft cabins
Gaskets help to keep everything running smoothly, from car engines to space rovers on Mars. As a leading Flat Gasket manufacturer, Rubber-Cal uses premium rubber to ensure that products continue to work effectively for long periods of time. When a gasket is being used as seals, this is especially important to protect not only food or water but humans as well. From chemicals sealed away in pipes to keeping passengers safe in an airplane, rubber gasket seals are crucial for keeping people out of harm every day. While you may have wondered what is a gasket used for? You can see that rubber gaskets are all around you, working hard to keep almost everything around you working properly.
